Dr. Chris Bern
21 Years Experience
Cartersville, GA
Male, 49
I have been a practicing veterinarian since 1997, but have been in and around the profession since 1984. I am a general practitioner and see most pet species, from dogs and cats to parrots and snakes. In my job I do everything from routine vaccinations to complex surgeries and difficult medical cases. Becoming a vet takes hard work and dedication but can be very rewarding.
Most vets do have children and have an adequate family life. But it can be tough. Thankfully the times of working 60+ hour weeks are mostly over, and younger vets are looking for more work-life balance than previous generations. I typically work about 45 hours per week, though my days can sometimes be 10 or more hours, and I don't always leave on time every night. You will have to make some compromises and sacrifices, meaning you may not be there for every moment, game, recital, or other event. I have two children and don't feel like I've missed out on anything and am very involved in their activities. But there have been some times that I've missed things my kids were doing because of my work schedule. It can be tough to find the right balance, but it's not impossible. You'll need to really sit down and think about what is more important to you....being a vet or having open flexibility for your family. You won't always get both.
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Definitely! While most vets end up directing their efforts into one group of species (such as dogs and cats, farm animals, etc.), our basic education includes at least a little in every kind of animal used in pets or food production.
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Seeing the deep bond between pet and owner! It's one of the reasons I decided on companion animal medicine rather than livestock.
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Hard to say without talking to you in more detail in person. He (she?) could be asking for food, trying to find you, wanting to be let out, or just about anything else. Cats only meow to humans and not each other, so he's vocalizing just to you.
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Turtles! They're not hard to handle, but there are a lot of other problems. It's extremely difficult to give them anything orally since they don't want to open their mouths unless biting you or eating, and the way their upper beak overhangs the lower one you can't force it open. It's impossible to hear their heart and lungs through their shell, which limits your exam. You can also feel only small parts of their body so you miss a lot of palpation that you can easily do on any other animal. I find them my most challenging patients.
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It's very hard emotionally. We see death, injury, and illness on a daily basis. Often the health and life of a patient is entirely in our hands, and that's a huge weight on our shoulders. If we make the wrong decision in diagnosis or treatment it can literally mean the difference between life and death. You WILL make mistakes, no matter how good you are, and that's hard to realize and handle.
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Building bonds with clients and getting to take care of their pets year after year. I love most of my long-term clients and the ways we learn to interact with each other. That bond is awesome and something you don't always get. As far as actual tasks, I love any kind of soft tissue surgery. But that's something not every vet can say and some dread surgery.
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